Security

Extras

Bomb Detection Dog Like-Farming Scam

Outline
Facebook message featuring a picture depicting a funeral service for a bomb detection dog that saved many lives during a terrorist attack in India, claims that users can show respect for the fallen canine by liking the image.

Brief Analysis
The photograph is genuine and does depict a funeral service for police dog Zanjeer, who saved many lives by detecting explosives and ammunition during a terrorist attack in Mumbai, India in March 1993. Zanjeer was buried with full police honours after he died of cancer in 2000. However, the person that created this message is misusing Zanjeer's picture as a means of amassing likes for a particular Facebook Page. These despicable like-whores often use stolen images of sick children or animals as a means of tricking users into liking their pages and promoting their messages. If you receive one of these like-farming messages, do not help the like-whores by liking, sharing or commenting on their material.

Example

This dog detected more than 3000 kg's of RDX during Bombay Bomb Blasts and saved thousands of innocent lives.

A grand salute to this great dog

Never Forget To Share This Pic

Detailed Analysis

This Facebook driven message, which features an image depicting what appears to be a funeral service for a dog, claims that the dog saved thousands of lives by detecting hidden explosives during a terrorist attack in India. The message claims that, by clicking "like" on the image, you are showing respect for this canine hero. The message also suggests that users share the image.

The image itself is genuine and does
depict a funeral service for a much loved and respected bomb detection dog in India. However, the picture has been taken from another source and misused in this message by a despicable like-whore intent on amassing likes for a particular Facebook Page and promoting the page further via shares. Pages with high like numbers can be used to promote various products or services to a large audience. Or they can be clandestinely sold to other unscrupulous online marketers. These like farmers often use stolen images of sick or injured children or animals as a means of tricking Facebook users into liking and sharing their material.

The animal in the picture was a police dog named Zanjeer. A March 2013 Huffington Post article about Zanjeer notes:

In March 1993, a series of 12 bombs went off across Mumbai.

The serial blasts left 257 dead and 713 injured. But in the aftermath, an unlikely hero emerged. According to Reuters, a golden labrador named Zanjeer worked with the bomb squad and saved thousands of lives by detecting "more than 3,329 kgs of the explosive RDX, 600 detonators, 249 hand grenades and 6406 rounds of live ammunition." Hehelped avert three more bombs in the days following the blasts.

Zanjeer died in 2000 of bone cancer and was buried with full police honours. The above picture shows the ceremony for the much respected canine. The picture of the ceremony went viral on the Internet on the 20th anniversary of the blasts in which Zanjeer played such a crucial role.

But, the person who created this message cares not one iota for the dog depicted in the image.
And, given the underlying motivation for the message, liking the image does not equate to showing respect for the animal. Do not further the goals of these immoral users by liking, sharing or commenting on their Pages or images.

Last updated: June 25, 2013
First published: June 25, 2013
By Brett M. ChristensenAbout Hoax-Slayer